SoBA designs cafe in China as “a living container” with dynamic facades
Chinese architecture studio SoBA Architects has completed a cafe and florist shop in Kunshan, China, within a foldable box.
Named The Bloom Box, the 40-square-metre building sits on a lakeside platform, previously used as a sunshade pavilion in an urban park in Kunshan.
The studio designed a bright yellow, box-like structure that can easily open up and close off dependent on seasonal changes and lighting conditions.
During business hours, the facades unfold through sliding walls and adjustable elements, revealing the interiors of the shop. When not in use, it folds into an enclosed box.
"Our goal was to bring this place to life through a lightweight and flexible design intervention – creating a spot where people genuinely want to pause and linger," explained SoBA Architects.
"We sought a building that feels alive – one that actively responds to time, weather, and user needs, a spatial expression that makes the building part of the city’s rhythm rather than a static object."
A lightweight steel frame was used to ensure the stability of the structure on the floating platform, while the translucent aluminium cladding allows light and air to filter through the box.
At the side of the coffee counter, the facade lifts up outwards, creating a temporary shelter for customers.
A long wooden bench was placed next to the building with translucent panels made with steel frame and ECTFE membrane creating shading for customers.
According to SoBA Architects, the "stable skeleton and dynamic skin" strategy extends the structure's lifecycle, as well as enabling it to continuously adapt and respond within the urban environment.
The studio envisions the building not as "finished", but as "a living container" that evolves through use.
"We believe architecture's meaning isn't confined to grand scales or monumental forms," said SoBA Architects.
"It can also live in a small, openable, breathable box that participates in life, responding over time to its environment and users, and becoming part of the city's collective memory."
Founded in 2018 by Ruo Wang and Haiyin Tang in New York, SoBA Architects has offices in Suzhou and Seattle. It recently completed an urban park, also in Kunshan, informed by the "curve and rhythm" of local music.
Other cafes opened in China include Atelier Tao+C's West Bund Blue Bottle Coffee and an aluminium-clad minimalist cafe by Jiangjie Office.
The photography is by Wen Studio.
Project credits:
Client: Huaqiao Town, Kunshan Municipal Government
Consultant: Huaqiao Economic Development Zone Planning and Construction Bureau
Lead architects: Wang Ruo, Tang Haiyin
Design team: Chen Tuo, Li Chuanzhang, Wang Yuan, Shen Yichen, Li Zizhen
Lighting consultant: Shanghai Guangyue Lighting Design Co
Structural consultant: Zang Yuhong
Contractor: Suzhou Luting Construction Engineering Co
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